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“PRAYING AT all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). “But you beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT…” (Jude 1: 20).
There are a few things we must study and understand about Christian prayer. Many pastors wrongly teach that praying in tongues is praying in the Holy Spirit.
In other words, they say if a Christian prays in a tongue he prays in the Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit prays through him.
But this is a wrongful interpretation of Scripture. Study carefully the teaching of Paul, the apostle.
“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will PRAY WITH MY SPIRIT, but I will PRAY WITH MY MIND also…” (1 Corinthians 14:14 –15).
In the Scripture above, Paul talked about, “Praying with my spirit” and “praying with my mind”. First, Paul said he prayed with his human spirit; he did not say he prayed with the Holy Spirit. Second, he said he prayed with his mind.
To pray with your mind is to pray in a language or any language you understand or others understand. But to pray with your spirit is to pray in an unknown language of the spirit which neither you nor people around you understand. The Scripture says you (your human spirit) not the Holy Spirit utters mysteries to God.
“For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit” (1 Corinthians 14:2).
Now, let us get the teaching clearer. Paul’s charge is that Christians must pray in the Holy Spirit at all times. The issue is not whether we are to pray with our minds or with our spirits. The issue is that we are to pray in the Spirit at all times (Ephesians 6:18).
Now, if praying in the Holy Spirit at all times means praying in tongues, then, Paul never prayed with his mind throughout his life. But the Bible says Paul prayed with his mind. This means Paul did not always pray in tongues so as to pray in the Holy Spirit.
The point being made here is that if Paul prayed both with his mind and with his spirit, then, he obviously prayed in both ways in the Holy Spirit.
In other words, a Christian can pray with his mind in the Holy Spirit or pray with his spirit (pray in an unknown tongue) in the Holy Spirit.
By James Quansah
Pastor, End-Time Christ’s Commissioners
Executive Director, Christ-Conscious Leadership Centre
